Question 42 LB01 - Lifeboat Operator

The Correct Answer is B. ### Why Option B (Gravity) is Correct The **gravity davit** is the most common type of davit found on modern ocean service merchant vessels (SOLAS-certified ships) today. 1. **Reliability and Simplicity:** Gravity davits operate using the simple and reliable force of gravity to lower the lifeboat, making them highly effective even in power failure or severe weather conditions. 2. **Compliance:** SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea) regulations prioritize systems that ensure rapid and safe lifeboat launching. Gravity davits meet the requirement that lifeboats must be capable of being launched with the full complement of passengers and equipment, under unfavorable conditions of trim and list. 3. **Efficiency:** They allow the boat to be moved outboard and lowered quickly and smoothly, minimizing the time required for a full evacuation drill or actual emergency. Common designs include the single-pivot (or pivotal trackway) and multi-pivot (or roller trackway) types. ### Why Other Options Are Incorrect **A) Radial:** Radial davits (also known as "pivot" or "turning-out" davits) were among the earliest types used but are now considered obsolete for modern merchant ships. They require significant manual effort or mechanical power to swing the lifeboat out over the side, making them slow and impractical for large, modern, fully loaded lifeboats. They do not meet current SOLAS rapid deployment standards. **C) Sheath-screw:** Sheath-screw davits (or patent davits) use a screw mechanism to turn the lifeboat out. While they represented an improvement over radial types, they are mechanically complex, slower to operate, and require more maintenance than gravity davits. They are rarely installed on new ocean service vessels today. **D) Quadrantal:** Quadrantal davits (often using a falling block mechanism) were common before the dominance of gravity types. Like radial davits, they rely heavily on manual effort to crank the lifeboat out over the ship's side using worm gears and hoisting ropes. While robust, they are too slow and labor-intensive for the heavy, modern, enclosed lifeboats mandated by current SOLAS rules.